


What If?

by NervousAliceCurious



Series: What If? (A Sally Face Saga) [1]
Category: Sally Face (Video Games)
Genre: A Whole Lot of Heart, Alternate Timeline, Canon Divergence (Sort-Of), Curiosity Gone Wrong, Expect things to get very out-of-whack, Gen, Ghost-Hunting, Glitter Ponies, Midnight Expedition, Missing Limbs, New and Unusual Creatures, Strange Goings-On, Unsettling Behavior, alternate fates, lots of blood
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-13
Updated: 2019-02-15
Packaged: 2019-09-17 18:35:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 27
Words: 9,897
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16979688
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NervousAliceCurious/pseuds/NervousAliceCurious
Summary: If there's one thing I need you to remember, it's that nothing we did here was supposed to happen. All of it-from start to finish-was the cause of going against Fate.





	1. The Smallest of Changes

If memory serves me correctly, it started the way it always had:

 

With a nightmare.

 

-

 

_I’m curled up in a ball, vision spinning._

 

_The white walls around me seem to twist and bend._

 

_A distorted sound breaks through my delirium, and I jump._

 

_It sounds like a telephone...but it could just as easily be a siren._

 

 

_As soon as the thought crosses my mind, memories of blood fill my head._

_I **did** something._

 

_Something terrible..._

 

_My heart aches, even though I can’t remember what it is._

 

_The noise comes again, and I can’t bear to stay put any longer._

 

_My limbs protest as I try to make them move, to lift me **up** and onto my feet._

 

_It feels like it takes ten-million years._

 

_But I do it._

 

_Feeling like I’m going to collapse with every step, I rush over to the door._

 

_I have to get out!_

 

_The cops need to know what they’re up against, even if it kills me._

 

_But when I try to turn the handle, nothing happens._

 

 

_I can hear the sirens getting louder._

 

_More insistent._

 

_I search the frame for anything that might be jamming it closed._

 

_Anything at all._

_Blood gushes from my one, good eye._

_Something...burns...inside of me._

 

_They **must** be here by now..._

 

 

_Yet..._

 

 

_Everything’s gone quiet._

 

_...Why didn’t it occur to me before?_

 

_Of **course** , the door is going to be locked, you idiot!_

_I spin around, a new objective taking over my need to escape:_

_Finding that **key**._

 

_I look, and I look, behind the dresser, under the bed..._

 

_It’s not there._

 

_Then I check the IV machine in the corner._

 

_Something is trapped under one of its legs._

 

 

_Could it be...?_

 

_It’s not difficult at all to push the file cabinet out of the way so that I can take a closer look._

 

_My fingers close around the smooth metal of a key._

 

_I insert it into the lock, and pull open the door._

_An infinite black space greets me, and I can physically **feel** my own horror. _

_There’s nowhere for me to stand._

_I hang onto the handle for dear life, but the entire thing cracks off in my hands._

_The sickening sensation of free fall invades my senses as a colorful rip appears in the void before me-_

_-_

 

That's how it ends, yes?

 

**Yeah.**

 

Okay, then...

 

The next thing that should’ve happened was for the new tenants to arrive.

 

-

 

_“Lisa? Can you come down here a minute?”_

 

_Putting aside her current duty of mopping the 1 st-floor hallway, she responds:_

 

_“I’m already there Mr. Addison! What is it you need?”_

 

_“It’s 4:10. The Fishers were supposed to be here two hours ago”._

 

_He sighs._

 

_“Can you go find out what’s going on with them? It’s supposed to get real bad later tonight, and I would feel awful if they were stuck somewhere when that big storm hits”._

 

_The resident janitor answers in her usual plucky manner:_

 

_“Don’t you worry! I’ll be on my way in a jiffy, just as soon as I get my car keys from Larry”._

 

_“Alright then. Have a nice trip!"_

 

_"Thanks, I will!"_

 

_"Oh, and if you would be so kind, could you bring them up to their room, as well?”_

 

_“Of course! I’d be happy to do it”._

 

_“Great! Thanks, Lisa! I knew I could count on you”._

 

-

 

I should have specified ‘safely’.


	2. Consequences Beyond Our Control

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What happened, pt. 1

_Sal jolts awake, the memory of himself plummeting into the abyss still fresh in his mind._

 

_Beside him, his dad is snoring away._

 

_“You alright back there?”_

 

_The cabbie who graciously agreed to drive them to their new home is nice, but a little weird._

 

_His eyes are practically bulging out of their sockets with worry._

 

 

_(Then again, since they’ve met him, they’ve seen him drink **five** whole thermos’ of coffee. And in the span of an hour, as well)._

 

 

_“Yeah...”_

 

_“You sure?”_

 

_He jerks the steering wheel to the right, and it’s all the boy can do to not go flying into the window._

_'_

_“You were sweating something awful! And don’t get me started on that **stuff** you were spouting-“_

 

_His face warms beneath the mask._

 

_“I...spouted stuff?”_

 

_“Yeah!_

 

_Things like: ‘Where am I?’ and ‘Where’s the key!?’._

_You even said: ‘Oh my gosh, the cops!!’ at one point, scaring the bejeebers out of me!! I actually thought they were there trying to pull me over!”_

 

_That’s... **really** embarrassing._

 

_“Bet you’re glad your dad wasn’t awake to hear it, eh?”_

 

_He couldn’t believe it._

 

**_This guy must read minds, or something._ **

 

_“Nope!” he counters cheerfully “Just extremely intuitive”._

 

_The cabbie chuckles._

 

_“You kind-of have to be to survive raising two-year-old twins._

_Get into any and everything if you aren't careful, and can't anticipate their moves!”_

 

_At that moment, the car shook violently._

 

_“Crikey!”_

 

_“Hm?”_

 

_Henry Fisher stirs at the jarring motion._

 

_“Hang on men, I think we’ve got a flat tire!”_

 

_Rubber screeching, he wrenches the wheel to his **other** right._

 

_This time, Sal **can’t** stay still._

 

_Both father and son are tossed into the car door!_

 

_“Whoa!”_

 

_“Sorry, Mr. F.-!”_

 

 

_It **opens**._

 

_Rainbow light flashes into his eyes, and for a moment, he is blind._

 

_Unable to see that he is **sloooowly** sliding out of his seat to his doom._

 

_“ **Dad**!!” _

 

_Fingers grasp at the fabric of his shirt and hold fast._

 

_“It’s going to be okay, Sal!! I promise!”_

 

_He has to shout to be heard over the noise of the engine revving._

 

_But it’s not._

 

_He is hanging on as hard as possible, but the force of the world whipping by outside is tugging on Henry with greater strength._

 

_He can’t...keep it up..._

 

_The cab rocks to a stop an inch from the curb, and the last bits of blue cotton escape from his grasp._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm thinking maybe one chapter a day until Christmas.
> 
> Hopefully.
> 
> Unless Life has any objections...
> 
> We'll see.


	3. Dumb Luck

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Enter the Johnsons.

**_Thank my lucky stars...!_ **

 

 

_His back aches from the impact of his spine slamming into the pavement, but he’s alive._

 

 

_And that’s all that counts._

 

 

_“Larry?”_

 

_“Yeah?”_

 

_He looks up from the blank canvas, and brushes his overlong hair out of the way so he can see her properly._

 

_“Do you have my car keys buried in here someplace?”_

 

 

_...The one time he doesn’t clean his room..._

 

 

_“Uh...hold on...”_

 

_He starts to rummage through various piles of junk._

 

**_Geez, I can’t remember the last time I actually used them._ **

 

_Finding no sign of them, he moves on to a mound of laundry._

 

**_I swear, if I left them in my pockets..._ **

 

_“Are you going out to pick up those two guys?”_

 

_His mother smiles._

 

_“That’s what I’m planning to do...”_

 

_“Wonder what held them up?”_

 

_Something metal jangles as he roots around in last week’s jeans._

 

**_Wow. Guess I know what I’ll be doing for the rest of the night..._ **

 

_“Well, if I had to guess, I would say that they ran out of gas. It **is** an awfully long drive-“_

 

_“Here you go, mom!”_

 

_Lisa’s eyes light up._

 

_“Thanks a million, Lar-bear!”_

 

_He cringes internally._

 

_“You’re welcome...”_

 

_Sal’s heart stutters in fear._

_He’d **just** watched his father disappear into a technicolor haze!_

 

_For all he knows, his dad is **gone** , lost forever in a giant rip in the ground._

 

 

_THUD!_

 

 

_“I’m okay, son! Don’t worry...”_

 

 

_“Your father must have nine lives”, the cabbie deadpans._

 

_He’s too busy being relieved to care._

 

 

_Unfortunately, the damage is worse than a simple flat tire._

 

_“Well call me a monkey’s uncle! I’ve never seen anything like this before in all my years as a cab-driver”._

 

_It’s a gutted transmission and burned-out under-carriage as well._

 

_“Probably from that gas explosion we just drove over”._

 

_Henry shudders._

 

_“If it wasn’t for your quick-thinking, Mr. Lovett, I’m afraid we would be...”_

 

_He can’t quite bring himself to say it._

 

_“It’s nothin’ you need to thank me for, Mr. Fisher!”_

 

_The man flashes them a cheeky, unfazed grin as he pops the trunk._

 

_“You would’ve done the same for me”._

 

_Two hours and forty minutes later, a sedan pulls in to the curb right next to the totaled taxi-cab._

 

_The mysterious driver rolls down the window, and a fluttery feeling enters his breast._

 

_“Hello there! I’m Lisa Johnson from the Addison Apartments”._

 

_“I’m Henry Fisher, and this is my son, Sal”._

 

 

_It’s a miracle he’s able to tell her that without tripping over his words._

 

 

_“And I’m Harold Lovett”, the failed mechanic calls out._

 

_He waves a greasy wrench in the air, and winks._

 

_She gathers up something from the passenger’s seat, and then opens the door._

 

 

_“It’s a pleasure to meet you all”._

 

_They shake hands._

 

_“It’s a pleasure to meet you as well, Ms. Johnson”._

 

_“Oh, just call me Lisa. Everyone else does”._

 

_Harold climbs out from under the car, and moves to join them._

 

_“Well, Ms. Lisa, I suppose you’re here to give these two a lift?”_

 

_“You got it!”_

 

_“Fantastic”._

 

_“Although, I could help you with the repairs if you’d like” she offers, holding up a toolkit roughly the size of a small island._

 

_“No, no it’s fine”, he protests “I’ll put in a distress call or something, and a tow-truck’ll show up sooner or later”._

 

_He nods at the Fishers._

 

_“You’ve got to get these guys settled in soon”._

 

_At their looks of confusion, he explains: “There’s hurricane-type weather in store for Nockfell overnight. Real nasty wind, rain, etc.”_

 

_Lisa glances at the wrecked vehicle._

 

_Henry can see the gears turning in her mind._

 

_“Okay...how about I take you boys over to Addison’s and then come right back to help Harold out with his cab?”_

 

_“Sounds good to me”, Harold says._

 

_“Same here”, Henry agrees._

 

_“Okay then!”_

 

_Her kind, brown eyes focus on him, and Henry knows he’s in trouble._

 

_“ Let’s do it!”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so the Prologue officially wraps up...


	4. Hunting The Hunter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What a rift is. What a rift does.

**_You fool._ **

 

**_What have you done!?_ **

 

_I can see something through the static._

 

_It’s the rift in the road-the one that almost claimed my dad’s life._

 

**_You should never have changed your own Fate!_ **

 

_My head...aches._

 

_As the colors glitch in and out of focus, I struggle to fight off an all-consuming darkness._

 

_Is this...?_

 

**_Death._ **

****

 

_What looks like a giant arm rends its way out of the ground, and rakes its sharp claws across my face-_

 

I wake up on the road, breathing heavily.

 

It’s raining, and the wind is threatening to blow me away.

 

It’s all I can do to keep myself rooted to the asphalt.

 

_Nonono this isn’t me what is going on-!_

 

I have to get out of here.

 

 

My arms drag me over to the sidewalk in a matter of seconds.

 

I don’t know why my legs aren’t working-

 

They trail behind me as if they were made of rubber.

 

There’s no feeling in them at all.

 

_What kind of a dream is this!?_

 

When I’ve been at it for what seems like forever, a terrible hunger attacks my stomach.

 

I had soup out of a can for dinner, so I shouldn’t feel this ravenous.

 

But I am.

 

And what’s worse, is...

 

I _smell_ something.

 

 

I want to go to the apartments, to my dad, but that _fire_ won’t let me abandon this new path...

 

I track the delectable scent down, a new energy filling my limbs with each push.

 

A faint sound is whisked away by the tempest.

 

For some reason, I feel like I’ve heard it before.

 

I get even closer...

 

_No._

 

_NO._

 

Gizmo...

 

When the car door opened he must’ve been thrown out too...

 

...

 

I can’t do this.

 

I’d rather _starve_ than do this...

 

He looks so _weak_ , so helpless.

 

How could I even _consider_ eating him...?

 

...

 

A stronger, more painful surge of hunger hits me.

 

It’s so bad, that I want to scream.

 

_I can’t do it._

 

_I can’t do it-_

 

My fingers gently curl around his rain-savaged body, and I lift him up until we’re eye-to-eye.

 

His yellow gaze is _begging_ me for mercy-

 

Does he know...who I am?

 

A third pang hits-

 

And I can’t-

 

control myself-

 

anymore-

 

My teeth bite into his neck:

 

_Crounch_

_Grind_

_Snap_

 

 

I wake up with blood on my hands.

 

I feel _so sick_...

 

What even was that!?

 

My mouth feels sticky, and my teeth are clotted with something I don’t have the mental fortitude to deal with right now.

 

I still force myself to get up, and go to the bathroom anyway.

 

...

 

I don’t know why I’m surprised.

 

I don’t know why I’m shaking.

 

It’s _fur._

 

It’s _flesh_ -

 

 

_Voices._

 

_By the door._

 

 

Oh crap, what time is it!?

 

If my dad’s up...

 

...How do I explain this to him!?

 

I rush over to the door, and open it just a crack.

 

I need to know what’s going on out there.

 

It looks like...

 

A lady with purple hair, and Lisa...

 

They’re talking to my dad.

 

They’ve got a burlap sack in their hands...

 

He’s looking in...

 

The way his eyes grow wet worries me.

 

_I_ _f that’s...what I think it is..._

 

A limp paw dangles out of a hole in the bottom, and all the breath is driven out of my lungs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> R.I.P. Gizmo...I did not see this coming.


	5. Henry's Dilemma

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gizmo's passing is old news to Sal. But Henry doesn't know that...

_The moving van honks outside._

 

_It’s two hours since Sandy and Lisa stopped by._

 

  _Henry rubs his bloodshot eyes._

 

**_Time to wake Sal._ **

 

**_Oh Lord, how am I going to tell him-!?_ **

 

**_Wonderful, Henry. Just wonderful._ **

 

_It is now noon._

 

_He has yet to inform his son that Gizmo has permanently left this earth._

 

**_You’d better hope he doesn’t find that bag you hid before you can properly explain yourself._ **

 

_“Hey, Sal?”_

 

_He looks up from transporting an especially heavy box._

 

_“Yeah?”_

 

_His father wipes some sweat off his brow._

 

_“We’ve been at it for quite a while now. Why don’t we take a little break?”_

 

_“...Okay”._

 

**_Best to rip it off quick. Like a band-aid._ **

****

 

_“I have to go through my email, see what my new boss has left for me to do over this next week. While I’m doing that, how about you go introduce yourself to our new neighbors?”_

 

**_...You coward._ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wi-fi crashed for a while there, but here's Chapter 5!


	6. Apartment 403

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Something's happened to his next-door neighbor. But what?

**_Poor dad..._ **

 

**_I can’t believe he has to go through this again._ **

 

_He shuts the front door with a soft **click!**_

 

**_Gizmo was like a part of the family...He might not retreat into himself like when mom died, but he’ll probably get pretty darn close._ **

 

_Guilt churns in his stomach._

 

**_Eventually...I’ll have to explain what happened as best I can._ **

 

**_Even though the most proof I can give him is a bunch of bloodied tissues._ **

 

_He is **not** looking forward to it at all._

 

**_But how can I look him in the face otherwise?_ **

 

**_I_ know _that his death was my fault._**

****

 

_KNOCK! KNOCK!_

 

_There’s no doubt about it._

_Apartment 401 is undeniably empty._

**_Whoever lives there will probably be back later today..._ **

****

_He walks past Apartment 402, the one he’s just moved into with his dad, and the elevator._

_The placard above it reads ‘4’._

****

_The room immediately after it, Apartment 403, is a disaster area._

_Its doorway is plastered with neon-yellow police tape, and several deep scratches bite into the apple-green paint._

_Standing at attention is a scowling police man with the most extra handle-bar mustache he’s ever seen in his life._

_“Excuse me, but what happened here?”_

_His eyes narrow._

_“That is for me, and me alone to know, you nosey little midget!”_

**_‘Midget’?_ **

****

_Sal tamps down the dragon fire rising up the back of his throat, and asks:_

_“Are you going to be there all day?”_

_“I **just** got done telling you that this isn’t any of your business”._

**_I thought police officers were supposed to be_ helpful _._**

****

_This guy is the exact opposite._

_“Can you at least tell me who you are?”_

_“I’m your flipping knight in shining armor...What are you stupid!? I’m the head of police in these parts, missy which means that you better give me a little respect in the future! Now get out of here, do I look like a nanny to you!?”_

_He has to keep his teeth clenched tight as he slowly and purposefully turns on his heel and presses the ‘call’ button on the elevator._

 

_If he doesn’t, ‘I hope not. I’d feel sorry for all the children you’d traumatize” would ‘accidentally’ slip out._

 

_His goal is to make **friends** with the people in this building, **not**  enemies._

 

 

_Ding!_

 

_He decides to go up to the last level, first._

 

**_May as well start at the top and work my way down since I’m only a floor below it._ **

****

_When the doors open, he steps out into the creepiest place known to man._

_The striped wallpaper is peeling, the beige floor is covered with water stains, and loose boards are strewn all over the place._

**This _is the fifth floor?_**

****

_It looks like something out of a horror movie._

 

_His eyes catch sight of a mounted sign to his right:_

 

**NOTICE**

This floor is

currently being

renovated.

For your safety,

please make

your way to the

nearest exit.

 

 

**_That explains why everything is so aged and messy up here..._ **

 

_..._

 

_...Well._

 

_He may as well get to it._

 

_Apartment 503 turns out to be locked._

 

_But the one right next to it..._

 

**_It’s open..._ **

****

_Grasping the handle, he turns it and mentally prepares himself._

 

_“Oh, sorry! I didn’t know anyone was in here...”_

_A man sits in a nest of old newspapers, his arms cradling his knees._

 

_His hair is unkempt, his clothes are ragged and full of holes, and his eyes are hidden in shadow._

 

_“...”_

 

_Even so...Sal can feel them boring into his own._

 

_“...Are you alright, sir?”_

_“You shouldn’t have come here”._

 

_His voice is dry and gravelly, like he hasn't had any water to drink in **days**._

_“I know, I just wanted to make sure that I wasn’t missing anyone-“._

 

_“Shadows lurk here._

 

_...Other creatures, in this building._

 

_You._

 

**_You_ ** _, are the cause-“_

_An ominous feeling creeps into his chest._

 

_“Me? What do you-“_

_Rattle! Rattle!_

_Startled by the noise, Sal turns to look over his shoulder._

 

**_Is there somebody else living up here too?_ **

_  
When he looks back, the man is gone._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not approve of discriminatory language unlike the police man in this story. At all.


	7. Ripple Effect

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gizmo's death doesn't only affect the Fishers.

**_How did he-?_ **

 

_He steps closer to the nest, perplexed._

 

**_...It’s like he vanished into thin air!_ **

****

 

_Aside from a door that is completely boarded up for some reason (and therefore impassable), the only other object of interest in the room is..._

_Sal’s nerves are on high alert as he approaches the bathroom door._

_Grasping the handle, he braces himself as he turns it..._

_Click!_

 

_Click!_

_The door won’t budge._

**_It’s locked?_ **

****

_He steps back._

**_But I could’ve sworn I heard something..._ **

****

 

_The other apartments on Level 5 are also locked._

 

**_Well, I guess there’s nothing left to see here._ **

_...Or so he thought._

**_Wait. Is that a..._ **

****

_It was._

**_Huh. A peephole. Weird._ **

****

_Out of curiosity, he put one eye to the opening-_

_A staring, milky-white orb glares back, its surface marred by countless cataracts._

****

**_..!!_ **

_He couldn’t get out of there fast enough._

 

**_...I must’ve imagined it._ **

 

_The elevator dings and its doors seamlessly part._

 

**_I must have._ **

 

_His first impression of Level 3 is that it looks just like the other two._

 

_Same wallpaper, same flooring, same-_

 

_His sneaker slips out from under him, and he falls flat on his back with a THUD!_

 

_For a moment, black stars cloud his vision._

 

**_...What just happened?_ **

 

_“Oh, dear! Are you alright!?”_

 

_The sound of hurrying footsteps reaches his ears, and, a moment later, a familiar face leans into view._

 

_“I’m okay...It’s good to see you again, Ms. Joh-Lisa!”_

 

_“It’s good to see you again, too, Sal”._

 

_She smiles at him warmly, and helps him up with her free hand._

 

_“Does your head feel okay?”_

 

_There’s a dull throb at the back of his skull, but that’s all._

 

_“It hurts a little bit, but I think it’ll go away by itself”._

 

_Lisa lets out a weary breath._

 

_“Oh good. I don’t think I could live with myself if put you in the hospital on your first day here”._

 

_He suddenly notices the dark circles under her eyes._

 

_“...Is something wrong?”_

 

_“Well for one thing, I clearly overdid it with the water. Usually I don’t use so much, but I suppose I’ve been rather distracted as of late...I just can’t stop thinking about that poor cat!”_

 

_A cold pit of dread forms in his stomach._

 

_“I should’ve realized that something was off, y’know? The moment I saw all of that cat hair on your overnight stuff...”_

 

_She shakes her head, disappointed with herself._

 

_“It should’ve occurred to me right then and there that you guys were missing a family feline”._

 

_She sighs heavily._

 

_“But no, I went on with my day after dropping you guys off none the wiser. And again, once I helped that man fix his cab. But later on, when I was throwing out the trash...By the time I figured out what a fool I'd been it was too late for the poor thing”._

 

_“You don’t need to blame yourself for that...” he cuts in “No one knew he was gone, not even my dad and I!”_

 

_Her eyes are watering slightly._

 

_“Thank you, Sal. That’s very sweet of you to say”._

 

_But he could tell by the way she’s barely holding it together that she doesn’t believe those words._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Somebody needs to give that poor woman a hug. ):


	8. The Collector

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The tenants on Level 2 are a little...

_“I really mean it!”_

 

_The truth he has to share clots his throat._

 

**_But there’s no way I can just let her keep thinking that this is her fault!_ **

 

_“I know you do, dear!”_

 

_The sadness in her voice breaks his heart._

 

_“Yeah, but I have to-!”_

 

_At that moment, Lisa’s radio crackles to life:_

 

_“Er, Lisa? I hate to bother you when you’re so hard at work, but we’ve got a situation out back...”_

 

_“Say no more, Mr. Addison! I’m on my way!”_

 

_Smiling apologetically, she picks up her mop, and heads to the elevator._

 

_“I’m sorry, Sal. I have to go”._

 

_Before he can protest, the chrome doors swish closed._

 

**_...Darn._ **

****

 

_The first apartment he sees on Level 2 is empty, but the one to its right..._

 

_Is very weird._

 

_Sal stares in consternation at the locked doorway as unusual noises seep through its cracks._

 

 

_RRR..._

 

_Baaa!_

 

_BANG! BANG!_

****

 

**_What’s going on in there!?_ **

 

_Hesitantly, he raises a fist..._

 

 

_KNOCK-KNOCK!!_

 

 

_Complete. Silence._

 

 

_“...Hello?”_

 

 

_No one answers his tentative greeting._

 

 

**_Okay then..._ **

 

 

_The **second** he starts walking back the other way:_

 

 

_RRR..._

 

_Baaa!_

 

_BANG! BANG!_

 

_KNOCK-KNOCK!!_

 

_The quiet of Apartment 203 is **nothing** like 201’s (to his relief)._

 

_Moving on to its neighbor, he gets an actual response this time!_

 

_“...You the pizza delivery guy?”_

 

_“No, I’m one of the new tenants. I thought I would go around and introduce myself”._

 

_“Huh. Wonder where he’s at. Feel free to get on in here, at any rate...”_

 

_The smell of **serious** body odor hits his nose as he opens the door._

 

_And the closer he gets to the obese man in the well-worn armchair, the stronger it becomes._

 

_“Hi, I’m Sal! My father and I got here yesterday evening”._

 

_“Charley”._

 

_The cushions loudly complain as he hikes himself forwards so he can get a better view of this 'new tenant'._

 

_“What’s that on your face?”_

 

_Anxiety begins to rise in his chest._

 

_“It’s-“_

 

_“-A self-expressive thing, right? Don’t worry kid, I’m not gonna rag on you for it. I was your age once, you know. I understand the feeling...unless it’s for a gang or some crud. That I’m not down with”._

 

_Sal quickly shakes his head._

 

_“No, it’s not for that”._

 

_“Good”._

 

_Charley’s beady eyes look him up and down._

 

_“Good. Don’t touch my collections and we’ll be fine”._

 

_He jerks his head to the nearby shelves._

 

_“These guys are like family to me. So if you mess around with ‘em, it’s personal. Capice?”_

 

_“Capice. You won’t get any trouble from me, sir!”_

 

_“I’d sure hope not”._

 

_On his way out, Sal stops to check out something that has captured his eye...well, actually, a lot of somethings._

 

_“You like it huh?”_

 

_Charley’s proud voice booms from the other end of the room._

 

_“S’my complete set of Glitter Ponies! Took me most of my life to get ahold of ‘em all._

 

_Look to your heart’s desire, but don’t you dare try to sneak one out of here!”_

 

**_That’s fine with me, but..._ **

 

_“What’s a Glitter Pony?”_

 

_The disbelieving stare that cut through him right then sent shivers down his spine._

 

_“...You don’t know what a Glitter Pony is”._

 

_All he could do was shake his head again._

 

_“No...”_

 

_“And you’ve never seen ‘My Glitter Ponies: Rainbow Spectacular’”._

 

_“No”._

 

_That **stare** again._

 

_“The most highly-revered T.V. show ever created by the great Coryn Klaus”._

 

_One, final: "No”._

 

_“...You need to get into it. It has all the components of the best films ever made: genuine hilarity, star-crossed love, nail-biting adventure, devastating secrets, I could go on and on!”_

 

_His cheeks suddenly flushed._

 

_“And the ponies themselves...oh yeah, they are **so** worth watching!”_

 

**_This is getting really creepy...I’d better bail._ **

 

_“Uh...I’ll have to look into it sometime after we’re fully settled in”._

 

_He begins to edge toward the door ever so slowly..._

 

_“You’d better. Once you enter the Glitterdom you’ll never want to leave”._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writing this chapter reminded me of how creepy Charley is. *shivers*


	9. First Contact

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sal meets the rest of his new neighbors. That's it.

_As soon as he shuts the door, his uneasiness fades._

 

**_Man. Charley is one strange character. Then again, I’m not exactly the Golden standard for ‘Normal’ myself._ **

 

_His next-to-last stop is Level 1._

 

**_Just like all the others...so far..._ **

****

 

_Apartment 102?_

 

_Nothing._

 

_Apartment 101?_

 

_Something._

 

_The door swings open so fast that he has to quickly move out of the way, or risk having his nose shaved off!_

 

_“Well!? What is it?”_

 

_For a moment, he can’t think of what to say._

 

_From the crack between it and the frame is an elderly woman clothed in nothing but pink lingerie._

 

_Her eyes focus on his face with disapproval._

 

_“Bit early to be wearing a **mask** don’t you think?”_

 

**_..._ **

****

 

_An awkward silence descends upon them._

 

_“...”_

 

_SLAM!!_

 

_He hears her mumbling something from the safety of her room, but her voice is too faint to tell what it is._

 

**_...That’s probably a good thing._ **

****

 

_‘Mr. Addison’ is spelled out on the mail slot of Apartment 103._

 

**_That must be where the owner lives._ **

 

_“Oh my! What on earth-um-forgive me, please. Can we try that again?”_

 

_“Sure...”_

 

_The mail slot clangs shut._

 

**_Is he going to open the door this time?_ **

 

_The mail slot clangs once more._

 

_“Hello there, Sal Fisher, and welcome to Addison Apartments! Is there anything that I can help you with at this time?”_

 

**_...Guess not._ **

****

 

_“Not really-wait. How did you-?”_

 

_“-Know who you were so soon?”_

 

_The peering eyes shine with pride._

 

_“I know every little thing that goes on in this building young man, and don’t you forget it!”_

 

_“I’ll be sure not to...will you mind if I come in?”_

 

_“Yes, I will mind!”_

 

_The sudden sharpness in his tone was a stark contrast from his previously jovial demeanor._

 

_“I take my privacy quite seriously”._

 

_“Oh. Well...sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable, or anything”._

 

_“It’s quite alright, Sal. I suppose I’ll be seeing you later”._

 

_Just like 204, 104 is also a strikeout._

**_It’s like half the people who used to live here just decided to up and disappear one day!_ **

****

_He gets an idea as to why that might be when he sees a detective’s badge glinting on the lapel of a man nearby._

 

_“Um, excuse me sir? I don’t mean to be a bother, but could you please tell me what’s going on? The officer upstairs didn’t really give me much information about what happened there”._

 

_He looks up from his notepad._

 

_“Oh, hello there. I presume you’re the son of Mr. Fisher?”_

 

_“Yes, sir”._

 

_“Could you please direct me to your Apartment? I need to speak with your father about something”._

 

_“It’s on the fourth floor, number 402”._

 

_“Great! Thanks. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got a statement to collect”._

 

**_...Did I hear that right?_ **

 

_“A statement? For what?”_

 

_He sighs as if he’s gotten this question many times before._

 

_“I am, unfortunately, not at liberty to say”._

 

_Left with no choice but to let the matter be, Sal returns to the elevator._

 

**_What floor have I_ not _hit yet?_**

 

_He’s been to four, five, three, two, and one..._

 

**_Hm._ **

 

_A card-reader is placed below the regular panel of buttons._

 

_It’s simply labelled ‘B’._

 

**_For ‘basement’ most likely...But where can I get a keycard for that?_ **

 

_...Well._

 

_He could always ask Mr. Addison._

 

_“Well, hello there Mr. Fisher! Back again so soon?”_

 

_“Yeah. Do you know where I could find a keycard for the basement level?”_

 

_The recluse’s head bobs._

 

_“Why yes, I do! Lisa lives down there with her son, Larry, so if you’d like to pay him a visit, she’s the one to go to!”_

 

_“Okay, thanks!”_

 

_“No problem, young sir”._

 

_To reach the back where Lisa is, he has to exit through the front door and circle around the side._

_“Lisa? Are you out here?”_

_He steps around the corner._

_Lisa is **not**._

_A man-sized, anthropomorphic bird, **is**._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ;)


	10. Mutual Recognition

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes, what we see in our sleep is real...

_“You’re too late. They’ve already left”._

_“...What?”_

 

_“...I didn’t mean to attack him. You’ll tell them that, right?”_

_The bird drags itself over to him, just as it had done in his dream-turned-nightmare._

_Clawed hands grip his shoulders._

_**“Right!?”** _

_“...Attack who?”_

_He doesn’t get an answer._

_“Just tell them!_ **_Please!!_ ** _”_

_Its rather human-like eyes dart from side-to-side, as if he’s on the alert for someone._

_“Are you okay?”_

 

_He shakes his feathered head._

_“I’m-“_

_He leans in as if he’s suddenly noticed something._

_“It’s_   ** _you_ ** _”._

_**Me?** _

__

_Huge, purple wings rip out of his spine with a hideous_ **_skrnncchh!!_ **

_“I have_ **_so_ **_many questions...”_

_With one flap, Sal is bodily lifted into the air!_

_“HEY!!”_

 

_The birdman acts as if he didn’t hear him, and continues flapping._

_“What are you-Where are you taking me!? Put me_ **_down_ ** _-“_

_**“Not. Yet”.** _

 

_His flying is choppy, and ragged._

_They soar up, and up, only to fall a little ways, and then repeat the cycle again._

_Sal’s stomach plummets over and over..._

_“Stop it already!!”_

_“Just...have to get...a bit...higher...”_

_He can see the creature’s muscles straining._

 

_With one hand, he sets free his right shoulder, and frantically grasps for the edge of the roof._

_**...Do not look down. Do not look down-** _

__

_He looks down._

_**Oh my gosh...** _

 

_Sal’s pulse_ **_skyrockets._ **

__

_They’ve got to at_ **_least_ ** _be four stories up._

_**If I fall from here, I will be very, very dead.** _

__

 

_Its claws_ ** _finally_** _catch with a_ shnk!  _after what seems like an eternity._

 

_The bird pulls Sal up next to him, and heaves him onto the roof!_

 

 

_Pain erupts in his hands and knees as they collide with the concrete._

 

_He gets to his feet just in time to see the purple-feathered beast haul itself up there with him._

_“Wh...WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT!?”_

_The bird exhaustedly lifts its head from the puddle it had collapsed into._

_“I needed to talk to you...in_ **_private_ ** _”._

 

_“Why?”_

 

_“Because I don’t understand how I got here. I really don’t”._

 

_The irate fire in Sal’s veins cools down some._

 

_It has a desperate look in its eyes that is making it impossible for him to stay angry._

 

_“Where were you before?”_

 

_The legs that won’t move...twitch._

 

_“...I can’t talk about...everything...”._

 

_It squeezes its eyes shut, as if the memories dancing in his mind are too horrific to dwell on._

 

_“But...I **will** say that there was a revolution of sorts, going on”._

 

_“A revolution?”_

 

_“Yeah. During a skirmish, this...crack opened up in the middle of town, and...”_

 

_“And?”_

 

_“I was in a field, starving. I didn’t know if I would survive the night, until something guided me here._

 

 

_And I’m pretty sure that it was **you** ”._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise!! A double upload! 
> 
> An early Christmas present from me to you. (:


	11. A New Understanding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Faced with the revelation that Sal is responsible for this craziness, the both of them must hash out the rift that exists between them.

_Sal struggles to wrap his head around everything the bird has just said._

 

**_...It wasn’t a dream?_ **

 

**_No._ **

 

**_No way..._ **

 

_But Gizmo had **died.**_

****

 

_“...How do you know that it was me?”_

_The bird sighs._

_“In the eyes of that furred creature...I didn’t see my own reflection..._

 

_I saw a tiny kid with blue pigtails and a two-toned mask for a face”._

_“What!?”_

_“I know this sounds like something I just made up, but I swear to you that it’s the truth”._

_“But that...I mean...”_

_Sal struggles to speak._

 

**_What does that even mean!?_ **

****

_“I don’t get this! I...”_

 

_He swallows hard at the weight of what he’s about to say._

 

_“I had a dream like that too...only...”_

 

_“Only what?”_

 

_“I didn't **see** you...I **was** you! That is, I woke up in the middle of the road, and I couldn’t walk, so I had to drag myself onto the grass, and then I was **so** hungry-“_

 

_“That is **exactly** what I went through to a T”._

 

_He furrowed his brows in thought._

 

_“And then...did you race after that predator?”_

 

_“Yes! And it wasn’t a predator!!”_

 

_Sal’s heart squeezes tight with the memory of how things ended-_

 

_“It was my cat”._

 

_The birdman looked at the ground in...shame!?_

 

_“...I did not know that. If I had...I wouldn’tve-“_

 

_“...I couldn’t control it”._

 

 

_He looks at his trembling hands._

 

_“Where I went, what I did...It was automatic. I didn’t think about any of it”._

 

_They clench into fists._

 

_“It felt like I was a puppet being jerked around on a bunch of strings”._

 

_“You were living my arrival...”_

 

_The purple-feathered being suddenly heaves himself up from his puddle of exhaustion._

 

_“I’m sorry I killed your pet”,_

 

_He takes shaky, crawling steps over to the boy, and again puts his hands on his shoulders._

 

_“And I’m sorry that I kidnapped you up here”._

 

_The fingers dig into the fabric of his shirt once more, but this time, it’s not out of a desperate fear._

 

 

_“But I **am** glad that we...had a chance to talk about this”._

 

 

_Sal hesitates a moment before he nods._

 

 

_“...Yeah”._

 

_“Sure didn’t figure out much, did we?”_

 

_It catches him by surprise._

 

_“-Hah! Yeah, we didn’t”._

 

_“...I hope you never have to feel like that again”._

 

_That **also** catches him by surprise._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Got lucky with this one...
> 
> (Crosses fingers that tomorrow will have some free time, too!)


	12. Can I Help You?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sal's father receives a very important caller...

_“So!”_

 

_The bird scans the flat, concrete surface of the rooftop._

 

_“Is there like, a door up here somewhere?_

 

_‘Cause I’m pretty sure **these** ragged things aren’t going to be able to take another flight”._

 

_Sal looks as well._

 

_“There’s one at the far end, but...it’s probably locked...”_

 

_At that, he flashes a smug grin._

 

_“I wouldn’t worry about it, if I were you”._

 

_He extends one finger, revealing a two-inch, steel-sharp talon._

 

_“With **this** baby, I can get in anywhere”._

 

**_KNOCK-KNOCK_ **

****

_Privately hoping that it was either his son or Lisa, Henry opens the door._

 

_“Hello-“_

_It’s not them._

_“Officer?”_

_The no-nonsense police operative flips to a new page in his notepad._

_“Henry Fisher?”_

_“Yes, that’s me...”_

**_...What’s this about?_ **

****

_“Where were you at 7:15 A.M. this morning?”_

_“I was in my bedroom, asleep”._

_At least, he’d **tried** to._

_“Why? Did something happen?”_

_The man’s stern expression gives away **nothing**._

_“...I’m not at liberty to discuss that”._

_He nods in understanding._

_“Of course. Police confidentiality, and all that-”_

_“However”._

_Using the tip of his pen, he indicates the ravaged doorframe of Apartment 403._

_“I’m finding it very hard to believe that your slumber was deep enough to avoid being roused by the sounds of someone or some **thing** breaking into the room next door”._

_...He doesn’t know what to say._

**_I wore myself out rushing around the place looking for somewhere to hide Gizmo without Sal stumbling across him by accident!_ **

 

**_I ended up deep in dreamland the second my head hit the pillow, and didn’t hear a peep from anything until the moving van came by at 8._ **

 

**_Would he believe that, though?_ **

 

**_..._ **

 

_The steel gaze currently boring into his own screams ‘absolutely not’._

****

 

_“You hid a **dead cat** from your son”._

 

_Henry sighs._

 

_“I know how awful that sounds, but-“_

 

_“Most parents wouldn’t do that, yes?”_

 

_His guilt over it drives the knife in deeper..._

 

_“Oh, absolutely not...but he’s just lost his mother, and...wait a minute”._

 

_Something about this line of questioning...doesn’t sit right._

 

_“This has nothing to do with the break-in”._

 

_His interrogator shrugs._

 

_“Maybe, maybe not”._

 

_He shoots a knowing look towards someone out of Henry’s line-of-sight._

 

_“But you have to admit._

 

_What you’ve just told me can be seen as incredibly incriminating._

 

**_Especially_ ** _since it would appear that you and your son are the only ones who live on this floor aside from Mrs. Sanderson._

 

_And neither of them are here right now to corroborate your story”._

 

**_Tink! Tink! Tink!_ **

 

**_..._ **

 

**_..._ **

 

**_..._ **

 

**_Click!_ **

 

_Sal is impressed._

_It had only taken ten seconds for him to pick the lock._

**_Cr-e-e-e-a-a-a-a-k-k-k..._ **

 

_The door swings open, the unearthly sound emanating from its rusty hinges a clear sign that no one's used it for a looooong time._

_“How did you do that so fast?”_

_He grins._

_“Let’s just say I’ve had a **ton** of practice over the years”._

_He drags himself through the narrow opening, and flops onto a pile of newspapers._

_Something about it tickles Sal’s memory._

**_That looks a lot like the nest the mysterious man was squatting on._ **

****

_Could this be the same room?_

 

_Then he sees that the only other door nearby is the one that undoubtedly leads to the fifth floor hallway._

**_No, it isn’t._ **

 

**_There’s no extra bathroom barred from the inside._ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I hope you all had a nice Christmas! Starting right now, the one-a-day update is back on until January 14th. At which point, they probably won't be as frequent because schoolwork. Anyways, until then, enjoy!! (:


	13. Unresolved Issues

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Before he can finally track down Lisa, Sal has an errand to run.

_“Phew!”_

 

_The bird closes his eyes._

 

_“After this, I think I’m going to take a **major** siesta”._

 

_“...Do you want me to get you anything?”_

 

_He shakes his head._

 

_“Nah, I’ll be alright for now...”_

 

_Sal nods, and begins to head for the door._

 

_“Okay. I promise that I’ll be back later with some food”._

 

**_...And maybe a doctor._ **

_Before he opens it though, he asks:_

 

_“Hey. Do you...have a name?”_

_“Zzzz...”_

 

_He smiles._

_Henry is **just** unpacking the last box when his son returns to the Apartment._

 

_“Well don’t keep this old man waiting!”_

 

_He says._

 

_“How did it go?”_

 

_Sal can **immediately** tell that something's off._

_“Okay...I guess”._

_There’s an undercurrent of worry in his voice that no amount of forced cheerfulness can hide._

**_Could_** _ever hide._

 

_“A lot of the neighbors weren’t home”._

_“Oh”._

_For a few seconds, Henry doesn’t speak._

 

_It’s like he’s not sure where to go from here._

 

_“ Well...that’s a shame”._

 

_He’s gotten used to the stilted conversations by now._

 

_That doesn’t make the awkward silence that follows easier to bear._

 

_“...Do you mind if I raid the fridge?”_

 

**_...Mind if I raid the-_ **

 

_Henry’s heart grows cold._

 

**_...Please don’t say-_ **

 

_He doesn’t, and all the anxiety bottled up in his chest drains away._

_“Not at all. Go right ahead!”_

****

**_I haven’t eaten since eight in the morning._ **

****

_The realization hits him as his fingers brush the handle._

**_No._ **

 

**No.**

 

**Don’t think about it.**

****

_He pulls open the door, shoving down thoughts of Gizmo’s brutal demise._

**_Just get the food, and get going._ **

****

 

_“Off so soon?”_

 

_Sal finishes tying a knot in the handles of a re-purposed grocery bag, and slings it over his shoulder._

 

_“Yeah”._

 

_He heads for the door._

 

_“That’s a lot for one boy to eat by himself”._

 

_He stops **cold.**_

 

_“I...found a stray. On the fifth floor”._

 

_Henry raises his eyebrows in surprise._

 

_“_ _Oh, really?”_

 

_“Yeah”._

 

 

_He chews on that for a minute._

 

 

_“Huh”._

 

_His eyes meet Sal’s, and, for a terrifying instant, he’s **sure** that his father has seen right through him._

 

**_Please don’t pick_ right now  _to ask me if something’s wrong_ please...**

 

_“Is it a squirrel? I remember Lisa telling us on the ride there that they basically ‘ruled the roost’ where the outdoors were concerned...”_

****

**_I don’t remember that at all._ **

 

**_Then again, I_ was _kind of...not paying attention at the time..._**

_“Uh, not really...”_

 

_“Hm._

 

_Is it a stray **cat** then? Or perhaps a dog...”_

 

**_Crud._ **

 

**_How do I keep him from finding out about the human bird living under the eaves without blatantly lying to him!?_ **

****

 

_“...Yeah. Something like that”._

 

**That _was not how to do it._**

****

 

_“Sal...”_

 

**_Here it comes:_ **

_“...Is everything okay?”_

_“Yes...”_

_He tries to ignore the slightly worried look on his father’s face as he prepares to leave._

_“You know you can tell me anything, right?”_

_“Right”._

 

**_Click!_ **

 

_Upon leaving, he finds that the belligerent P.O. from earlier is **still** parked in front of the crime scene._

 

_“What are **you** looking at?”_

 

_“Nothing”._

 

_“Yeah, you’d better be”._

 

 

**_Nice to see you’ve still got a chip on your shoulder...among other things in other places._ **

 

_He takes care to set his bounty down gently._

 

**_Here you go...enough rations for the next two weeks._ **

 

**_Or two days, depending on how much of an appetite you have._ **

_He can’t help but notice how peacefully his ‘stray’ is sleeping..._

 

**_Hope you’re having good dreams._ **

****

 

**_Wish I could say the same for myself._ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The end of the year is in two days, and I am not ready. Also, Writer's Block is very inconvenient.
> 
> Edit: Posted this at 12:06 in the morning. 
> 
> Welp.


	14. Check-In

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Where's Lisa!?

_“Well, hello again young sir! Did you find Lisa?”_

 

_“No, I didn’t. I...”_

 

**_How much do I tell_ _him!?_**

 

_“I heard she’d left the Apartments for something...”_

 

_Mr. Addison raises his eyebrows._

 

_“Really? That’s odd._

 

_Do you know what for?”_

_“Uh...”_

_Sal starts to sweat._

**_When this guy said he knew about everything that went on around here, how serious was he being?_ **

****

_“I think someone got attacked...or something”._

 

_The response is almost immediate:_

 

_“Oh dear!! But if that’s the case, then why hasn’t an ambulance been called for the poor dear!?”_

_“I don’t know”._

 

_Mr. Addison flushes a deep gray in frustration, and then exhales._

_“Okay...Was there anything you wanted?”_

_“Well, I was kind-of hoping you would know where she’d gone”._

 

_“Oh”._

 

_He sighs tiredly._

 

_“Hence your earlier remarks...Sorry, young sir, I’m afraid I don’t know”._

 

That night...

 

I didn’t dream of anything.

 

There was just...static, and then...

 

 

I was awake.

 

I was awake, and...something  _else_ was there, besides me!?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year's Eve everybody!!


	15. An Uninvited Guest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Who is this new person in Sal's room!?

Its eyes are terrifyingly familiar.

 

**_No way._ **

 

I had seen one peeking out at me through a peephole on the fifth floor.

 

 

“Who are you?”

 

_...That’s funny._

 

_I thought you knew me already..._

 

“No, I don’t...think so...”

 

I rub my eye.

 

Drowsiness still clings to me despite the creepiness of this situation.

 

_You saw me._

 

“I saw...”

 

**_What time is it, anyway!?_ **

****

“I saw _one_ eye”.

_Regardless, I cannot let you drift back to slumber._

 

_I am the Watcher, and you_ _**must** come with me._

 

A cold, bony hand grips my wrist in a vise.

 

 

**_Not_ this  _again..._**

****

I pull free.

 

“No”.

 

_‘No’?_

“You’re not taking me against my will”.

 

I’m whispering as loudly as I dare so she knows I’m not kidding.

 

_...You wouldn’t go if I asked nicely._

 

“How do you know that!? You never asked!!”

 

_Alright then._

She clears her throat, and it is the ugliest sound I have ever heard.

 

If I were to describe it to you, the closest I would be able to get is a backed-up drain.

 

_Small boy with blue hair, and gnarled face..._

I try not to feel too insulted.

 

_May you accompany me to mine own corner of the fifth floor where your feathered invader is currently resting?_

“Sure”.

 

_Thank thee kindly._

 

I can’t shut off the endless loop of _you shouldn’t be doing this you’re **supposed** to be asleep!!_

 

I want to.

 

But I can’t.

 

_Are you going to open the door?_

“Yeah”, I reassure her.

 

_You’re taking an awfully long time of it..._

**_Yeah._ **

****

Mainly because I’m working on shoring up my courage.

 

If I get caught sneaking out of the Apartment...

 

I swallow the lump of fear in my throat, and _sllloowwly_ turn the handle.

 

**_Please don’t squeak, please don’t squeak, please don’t squeak-!!_ **

****

**_Click!_ **

****

My tense muscles relax.

 

“Thank goodness...”

 

I close the door with an even quieter **_click!_**

 

“Okay...Here we go".

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 2019 is officially here! Happy New Year's, all!! (:


	16. Midnight Excursion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sal and the Watcher head up to her place for a very unfortunate mission.

My first step out, and I already want to go back in.

 

It is _dark._

 

I can barely see two feet in front of me!

 

The Watcher’s eyes seem to penetrate mine.

 

_Where to, from here young one?_

I wince as her ragged voice cuts through the silence like a knife.

 

“Um, can you bring down the volume a bit?

 

If somebody wakes up, and catches us doing this, we are going to be in a _lot_ of trouble!”

 

_‘Trouble’?_

“Yes!”

 

_In other words, all the humans aside from you will believe that we are up to no good if spotted._

“...Something like that”.

 

 

**_Ding!_ **

****

 

I nearly jump out of my skin-!

 

_Is that a bell...?_

 

_It is very tinny._

She ends up in the elevator ahead of me as I stand there, frozen.

 

 

**_Nobody heard that._ **

 

**_Nobody heard that..._ **

 

**How _did nobody hear that!?_**

****

 

_...Are you coming?_

 

My heart pounds in my chest as the doors slide open to reveal what looks like an empty vacuum.

****

**_Oh, man._ **

 

**_Wish I had a flashlight..._ **

****

_Come._

The Watcher brushes past me, and I shudder at the sensation of her sheer robes flowing over my bare arms...

 

“Hey-Wait up!!”

 

 

He’s still asleep.

 

 

...

 

 

I can’t kick him out of here.

 

 

I just _can’t._

 

 

But I know that that’s what she wants me to do.

 

 

I can see it in the way those glowing eyes of hers pierce me from the doorway.

 

 

She was here first.

 

 

This is _her_ home.

 

 

Not his...

 

 

But I can't do it.

 

 

**_I hope she won’t be too_ _mad..._ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Seriously. Sneaking around in the dark, at night, is a bad idea. Do not be like Sal and the Watcher!


	17. A Small Disagreement

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Watcher and Sal butt heads over whether this foreigner from another realm should stay or go.

“Can’t you two just...share the space for right now?”

 

The Watcher’s milky eyes glare at me.

 

“I mean, don’t get me wrong, I know that you’ve been living here for way longer than he has, but he’s really injured, and-“

 

_How dare you appeal to my heartstrings._

“I just don’t think it’s a good idea to move him right now”.

 

_Be that as it may, I cannot inhabit a space that is being occupied by another._

“...Why not?”

 

Her teeth grind together, until actual sparks are produced!

 

_Do you not remember my name!?_

 

_I am **The Watcher**!_

 

_I lurk in empty corners, keeping a vigil over the most sacred of spaces._

 

_They remain inviolate thanks to me!_

 

I don’t see what that has to do with letting somebody room in one’s Apartment for the night.

 

 

It must show on my face or something, because she then adds:

 

_...This space **used** to be the home of many important artifacts before-_

“Before what?”

 

_Before nothing...it is not a place for alien outsiders to collapse whenever they feel like it-!_

Her voice rises on the last word, and the birdman awakens.

 

“...Hey...What’s going on...?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How he slept through most of that, I have no clue.


	18. Musings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Who could it be? This mysterious being...

_This bathroom used to be hers._

 

_It was a lonely existence, but a stable one nonetheless..._

 

_Now, something else is in there with her._

 

 

_Something **dangerous.**_

 

 

_A desperate fire burns from it at all times!_

 

_It’s the reason why she can never quite make out who it is._

 

**_I certainly feel bad for them, though._ **

 

 

**_I can’t imagine carrying around that much fear for days on end._ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Break is flying by way too fast for my liking! ):
> 
> I guess it can't be helped, though.


	19. It Finally Happens

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time for the two conflicting parties to meet. Things can only go downhill from here.

**_Oh..._ **

 

**_Crud._ **

 

 

This...may or may not go well.

 

 

The birdman’s hazy eyes look my way.

 

“Oh...hey Sal.

 

You came back”.

 

“Yeah”.

 

I pick up the bag of food from where it lies, and hold it out for him.

 

“I got you some food.

 

You know, in case you were starving when you woke up”.

 

His eyes grow wide.

 

Whether it’s in hunger or disbelief, I don’t know.

 

“You packed all of this for me”.

 

When I nod, he mentally explodes.

 

“Oh my gosh, I can’t believe you did this”.

 

He lunges forward, eager hands pawing through various fruits, a couple cartons of cheese, and as much sealed meat packages as I could fit in there without my dad getting suspicious.

 

“You are a one-of-a-kind, kid!

 

Thanks a billion!!”

 

 

**_Grroowll..._ **

****

 

He grimaces, and my own stomach clenches in sympathy.

 

Only a few short hours ago, I was feeling those pains first-hand.

 

_...What is wrong with him?_

The birdman starts at the unfamiliar voice.

 

“Wh-Who said that!?”

 

“Uh-“

 

As I rifle my mind for a good explanation, he looks up, and off to the side.

 

 

Where the Watcher is currently slumped against the wall.

 

 

“What the-!!?”

 

 

“DON’T FREAK OUT!!”

 

 

My own volume scares me, but it has the desired effect:

 

 

His beak snaps shut, and her frosty gaze moves from him to me.

 

 

I wave my arm in the shadowy figure’s direction, and say:

 

“This is the Watcher.

 

She lives here, I guess-“

 

“Oh, pardon me ma’am!

 

I had no idea this place was occupied before I passed out-“

 

“And you are...?” I cut in, desperate to keep the diplomacy going.

 

“Alistair.

 

Alistair Breckinridge, heir to the-“

 

_It matters not who you are._

 

_You must leave immediately._

 

**_No, don’t say that-_ **

****

 

For a moment, he looks annoyed at her interruption.

 

But that annoyance is quickly replaced with something else.

 

 

Understanding.

 

 

“Yes, of course.

 

After all, you were here first, weren’t you?”

 

 

_Indeed._

 

_I was._

 

“Well then!”

 

He begins to drag himself toward the door, the bag still clutched tightly in his hand.

 

“Ah, wait-!”

 

I want to tell him that he doesn’t have to do this, that it shouldn’t hurt anything if he were to keep resting there for a while.

 

That sharing the space would be better than moving around while injured, and making everything worse.

 

But with a well-placed shove, he’s out the door, and **gone**.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always feedback is appreciated!! (:


	20. Resolution

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Watcher is pleased, and Sal is worried.

_...That ended well._

 

The Watcher smiles, revealing a mouth full of stained, and foul teeth.

 

_I must say, I half-expected him to insist on staying._

“Yeah, me too”.

 

Personally, I wish he had.

 

Spine cracking as she slid off the wall, the eldritch woman shuffles into the corner; right where the peephole is.

 

_Thank you for your services, boy._

 

_Now leave me._

 

_I must rest._

I can feel my temper flaring at how dismissive she sounds.

 

But I have better things to do than go off on her right now, so I nod her way and quickly rush out the door.

 

 

**_Oh no..._ **

****

Unfortunately, it’s easy to tell where he’s gone.

 

A thick, bloody trail occasionally plastered with feathers leads from the Apartment I’ve just left to the one on the opposite side of the hallway.

 

**_You’re still okay, right?_ **

 

**_You’re not flipping_ bleeding _to death as I think this-_**

 

 

**Right!?**

 

I can’t get to 504 fast enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh crap! A week until I have to go back to school-


	21. As Bad As It Looks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Sal catches up to Alistair, and finds out just how injured he really is.

There he is.

 

 

Lying in the corner, his arm flopped over his face.

 

 

**_She_ really _should’ve let him stay..._**

 

 

I hate to do this to him, but-

 

“Hey. Are you awake?”

 

Dropping to a crouch, I lightly shake his tattered wing.

 

I don’t think he ever tucked them back in since the nerve-wracking flight we shared.

 

“Hm-wha?”

 

Blearily, he opens his eyes.

 

“Oh...hello again.

 

I would’ve thought that you’d left by now”.

 

“Not without checking up on you first!”

 

I point to the bloody trail.

 

“And I’m awfully glad I did!”

 

 

He winces.

 

“Yeah, that doesn’t look so good.

 

I think my legs are a little bit upset with me”.

 

“...In 504, there’s a ton of empty space, and another nest.

 

It’s just like 501, only less oppressive.

 

If you wanted to, you could sleep in there”.

 

 

**_I sincerely hope that he says ‘yes’._ **

****

 

A tired smile blooms on his face.

 

“Sure, why not?

 

At any rate, it’ll do wonders for my poor aching limbs”.

 

Internally, I sigh with relief.

 

Externally, I open the door with one hand, and help Alistair inside with the other.


	22. The Misadventures Of The Pizza Guy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Who was the victim?

_I remember pulling up to the curb outside the Addison Apartments, Mr. Mansfield’s pizza in hand._

 

_He was one of Blackjack’s regulars, and had earned a reputation for tipping handsomely as a result._

 

_Thinking of the Rainy Day jar that had been neglected for far too long, I opened the car door and stepped out._

 

_I guess my first mistake was that I had assumed that this was going to be an ordinary pick-up._

_Upon reaching the front door, I was about to knock on it, and thus ensure that the delivery would go through as planned when I heard something strange._

 

**_Grrrowwl..._ **

****

 

_“Hello?_

 

_Is someone there!?”_

_I said._

 

**_Grrrowwl..._ **

****

 

**_What_ is _that!?_**

_I wondered._

 

**_Grrrowwl..._ **

****

 

**_That does it!_ **

 

**_I’m going to go see what that is!!_ **

****

 

_In my defense, I believed at the time that these unusual noises were coming from either a poor, stray animal, or a voraciously hungry child._

_Thus, the last thing I expected to see as I rounded the corner of the building was a shivering mass of violet feathers._

_Before I could do or say anything to the odd creature, it lashed out with a beak full of razor-sharp teeth and lethal claws!_

 

_A sharp pain grew in my arm then._

 

_An **intensely** sharp pain._

 

_In a state of shock mixed with horror, I looked down at myself:_

 

_A red waterfall of blood was cascading from a ravaged stump-_

 

_I fainted._

 

_I think..._

 

_And when my conciousness had returned to me, a woman in a handyman’s uniform was leaning overhead._

 

_Clearly quite distraught._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And with this next couple of chapters, we'll be halfway through...


	23. The Heroics of Lisa Johnson

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Who's the rescuer?

_When Mr. Addison had paged me to check out the back of the Apartments, I had assumed that the ‘situation’ was something ordinary._

 

_A homeless person camping out for the night, or perhaps a raccoon._

 

_What I found instead..._

_It was horrific._

 

_A man in a BlackJack’s uniform curled up on the ground, surrounded by a puddle of blood!_

 

_I knew that I had no time to waste!_

_He needed help, and he needed it right then!_

_Taking off my jacket, I wrapped it around the stump of his butchered arm._

_“Sir?_

_Sir, are you alright!?”_

_He didn’t answer me, and my heart sank._

**_Oh dear..._ **

****

 

_I **strongly** hoped that he was just unconscious._

 

_The next step was to get him up and into my car._

 

_At the rate he was bleeding, taking any time to call for help would only end in his death._

_If he wasn’t dead already, that is..._

 

_I slung one arm over his shoulder, and the other around his waist._

_Lifting him onto his feet turned out to be much easier than I expected._

_From there, I was able to carry him back around the side of the building._

_I unlocked the passenger’s side-door, got him snugly strapped in, and was out of the driveway and off to the hospital within seconds!_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more left, now...


	24. The Delivery Of Larry Johnson

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Who's the Middle-man?

_‘Anyhow Larry, I won’t be back for a long while so if you could just run that up to Apartment 402 that would be a big help’._

_“Sure, mom”._

_‘Thank you, Larry, you’re always such a sweetie!’_

_“You’re welcome”._

 

_I sigh._

 

**_She’s never gonna stop calling me that..._ **

****

 

_Setting the phone back into its cradle, I look down at the keycard clutched in my hand._

_I haven’t actually **met** Sal yet, but from the way my mom described him, he sounds like a pretty cool guy._

 

_Still, though, this task feels beyond awkward._

 

**_KNOCK!  
_ **

 

**_KNOCK!  
_ **

 

**_KNOCK!_ **

****

 

_When the door of 402 swings open, I’m met with a guy that I’m assuming is his dad._

 

_“Hello, sir...”_

 

_I hold out the keycard for him to take, and try not to let my voice crack._

 

_“My mom-I mean Lisa sent me-“_

_“She did?”_

 

_Oh man, did his eyes light-up just now!_

 

**_...I can already tell._ **

****

 

**_You have a crush on my mom._ **

****

 

_Pushing those thoughts aside for the time being, I say:_

 

 

_“She told me to give this to Sal so he could come and visit?”_

 

_I try to peek over his shoulder at the room beyond just in case the new guy is hanging out there, but see nothing._

 

_“Oh, how nice!”_

 

_He smiles, and takes the keycard._

 

_“I’ll have to show him this as soon as he gets back”._

_“Back?”_

 

**_Did I hear that right?_ **

 

 

_“Back from where?”_

 

_His smile drops into a frown._

 

_“I don’t know...I woke up this morning, and he wasn’t here”._

 

_Scratching his head in confusion, he continues on:_

 

_“I would assume that he’s up on the 5 thfloor with that stray animal he found yesterday, but I have no idea why he would leave without telling me”._

 

_...I have no idea what to say to that except “...He’ll probably turn up eventually”._

 

_My heart pangs in sympathy at the worry on his face._

 

_“I sure hope so...”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And with that, the second half of 'What If?' concludes.


	25. Where Is Sal, anyway!?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The question you've all been asking is about to be answered.

_Sal wakes up on the floor._

**_What the-?_ **

 

**_How’d I fall out of bed!?_ **

****

 

**_I don’t remember having any falling_ dreams _..._**

****

 

_Confused, he sits up._

 

**_This isn’t my room._ **

****

 

_Comprehension slowly dawns on him as his bewildered eyes take in the water stains, and loose boards._

 

**_Oh...crap, I fell asleep up here-_ **

****

 

_The sight that confirms what he’d hoped wasn’t true is the curled-up bundle of violet fur shifting around nearby._

 

 

**_I can’t believe it!_ **

 

**_I legitimately stayed up here the_ entire _night!!_**

****

 

_Guilt mixed with a sense of urgency fills him._

 

**_I have to get back to the Apartment before dad wakes up!_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tomorrow's update is gonna be iffy b/c we're going bowling, and I don't know when we'll be back.


	26. Trouble

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sal's lies are starting to catch up to him.

_Before he even opens the door, he knows that he’s too late._

 

_It’s gut instinct, and it is-_

 

_He grasps the handle._

_Turns it._

_Almost jumps out of his pajamas when his dad appears framed in the doorway!_

 

**_-Right on target, as always._ **

****

 

_“Uh...good morning, dad”._

_“Good morning, Sal” he answers evenly “And where have **you** been?”_

 

_“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you I was getting up early to check on the...stray”._

 

_They’re both seated at the table now, eating a strained breakfast of cold cereal._

 

_“I was just...really worried”._

_“Worried?”_

 

**_Of course,_ ** _his dad immediately grew concerned._

 

_“Is the cat alright!?”_

_“Uh-“_

_“Why would you leave it up there if it was **injured**!?”_

_“Dad-“_

 

**_Why is it I can never get a word in edgewise!?_ **

****

 

_His father stands, hands splayed on the table._

 

_Ready for action._

 

_“After you’re finished eating, we should go up there right away!”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Unfortunately, the Spring Semester starts to kick into gear, and I have to move back in tomorrow. I don't know if I'll have the time to upload one last chapter, but I will try. If not, then I wish you all goodbye-updates will no longer be coming one a day due to homework and stuff, but I may be able to make one a week work. So stay tuned for that! 
> 
> Thanks for sticking with me this far! (:


	27. Damage Control

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With his father attempting to get in on the big secret, Sal is left with quite the dilemma.

_Sal’s heart almost **stops**._

_“W-what!?”_

_“I said we’re going up there”._

_His blue eyes hold a hint of something he can’t name._

_“If the poor animal is badly hurt, we can’t just let it languish alone and suffer!”_

_‘I know-‘_

 

**_How do I talk him out of this?_ **

****

 

_‘I just...it’s very...’_

_‘Very what?’_

_‘Very...shy...?’_

 

_He’s unable to keep the question mark out of his tone._

 

_If he could, he would be kicking himself._

 

**_I don’t even sound like I know what I’m saying!_ **

****

 

_And, truth be told, he doesn’t...but..._

 

**_I can’t let him go up there._ **

****

****

 

_‘Shy?_

 

_‘Yeah, he’s super skittish around new faces...took me forever to grain his trust’._

 

_Henry deliberates._

 

_‘...How long did it take you?’_

 

_Sal tries not to let his agitation show._

 

_‘A couple of hours went by before he would even **try** to sniff my hand’._

 

_‘Well that’s not surprising, really...’_

 

_But he still frowns nonetheless._

 

_‘However-‘_

 

_There’s a knock at the door._

 

_‘-Who could that be?’_

 

 

_Getting up from his seat at the table, he heads over to where their unknown caller is waiting._

_With a **click!** he opens the door._

_‘Detective?’_

_Sal cranes his neck to see the officer from the lobby who'd needed directions to their apartment._

_‘Good morning, Mr. Fisher’._

_There’s a sound of flipping pages._

 

_Sal guesses that he’s still got the notepad from yesterday on him._

 

_‘Sorry to bother you this early in the day, but according to the evidence, it seems that **you** are the one who murdered Mrs. Anderson’._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Today is International Fanworks Day!!
> 
> I've managed to get my time management skills together enough that hopefully, such a long and painful hiatus may never happen again (as far as I know, anyway)!

**Author's Note:**

> I never thought this concept would see the light of day, but here it is. 
> 
> Enjoy! (:


End file.
